FIG. 1 is a flowchart of network registration during the initial access of a User Equipment, UE, in an evolved network, including the following steps.
Step 101: The UE sends a network registration request message to a Mobility Management Entity/User Plane Entity, MME/UPE.
Step 102: The network authenticates the UE.
Step 103: The MME/UPE sends a location update request message to a Home Subscriber Server, HSS.
Step 104: The HSS sends the subscription information of the UE to the MME/UPE.
Step 105: The MME/UPE saves the subscription information of the UE and sends a confirmation message to the HSS.
Step 106: The HSS sends a location update confirmation message to the MME/UPE.
Step 107: The MME/UPE sends a route update message to an Inter Access System Anchor, IASA and requests the Quality of Service, QoS, information required for bearer setup.
Step 108: The IASA interacts with a Policy and Charging Rule Function, PCRF and obtains relevant information and policy rules required for bearer setup.
Step 109: The IASA sends a location update response message to the MME/UPE.
Step 110: The MME/UPE sends a radio bearer request message to an Evolved NodeB, ENB, carrying QoS information and Radio Resource Control, RRC, information to the ENB.
Step 111: The ENB sends QoS information and network resource information to the UE through the RRC connection. This step is optional.
Step 112: The MME/UPE sends a registration accepted message to the UE.
Step 113: The UE sends a registration complete message to the MME/UPE. The registration process ends.
FIG. 2 shows the bearer setup process when the UE completes the network registration and needs to set up a bearer. As shown in FIG. 2, the bearer setup process includes the following steps.
Step 201: The UE and an Application Function, AF, perform service negotiation on an established signaling connection.
Step 202: The AF sends service information to the PCRF. The service information carries the service type and information related to the requested service.
Step 203: The PCRF obtains the subscription information of the UE from the HSS.
Step 204: The PCRF sends a resource request message to the MME/UPE. The message carries information such as the label of the service type corresponding to the current bearer, policies related to the requested service and QoS.
Step 205: The MME/UPE checks the subscription information of the UE, performs access control according to the received QoS information and available resources, and applies the received policy information.
Step 206: The MME/UPE sends a radio resource allocation message to the ENB. The message includes the label of the service type corresponding to the current bearer and maximum available network resource.
Step 207: The ENB performs access control and converts the received QoS information into the required radio QoS information, based on which the ENB allocates a network resource and performs corresponding configuration.
Step 208: The ENB provides required radio configuration information to the UE, and sets up network resource information related to IP or session data flows.
Step 209: The ENB sends a resource setup successful message to the MME/UPE.
Step 210: The MME/UPE reports the resource setup successful message and related QoS information.
In the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, the PCRF in step 203 may also obtain the user's subscription information from a Subscription Profile Repository, SPR, because the SPR may also store the user's subscription information. The HSS and the SPR are two completely independent functional entities, but may be located on the same network node.
Here, the ENB is an option of the Long Term Evolution-Radio Access Network, LTE-RAN, functions. According to actual conditions, the ENB network element may also be replaced by other options of the LTE-RAN functions.
In the conventional art, once the ENB sets up a bearer for the service requested by the UE, the service occupies the network resource allocated by the ENB all the time. When the service only requires part of the allocated network resource, the excess part may not be used by other services.